The Osun and Oyo State Governments have distanced themselves from the increase in tuition fees of students of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), an institution co-owned by the two states.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how the university announced that students who are indigenes of the states are to pay N200,000 while non-indigenes will pay N250,000 from the 2018/19 session.
The announcement drew protests by students in Ogbomosho and Osogbo where the university has campuses.
Apparently influenced by these protests, the university through a mail to the students on Friday from the office of the Registrar, Jacob Agboola, said the increment has been reviewed downward.
Indigenes are now to pay N140,000 per session while non-indigenes N170,000.
Reacting to this development, the two commissioners of information: Adelani Baderinwa (Osun) and Toye Arulogun (Oyo) who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES in separate interviews distanced the states from the increment.
“Let me tell you something. The school is an institution and it has its governing council. The state has no influence on the decision of the council,” Mr Adelani said.
Also, Mr Arulogun told PREMIUM TIMES that his state government had no knowledge about the fees.
“The two states governments did not increase their fees. You should talk to the governing council.”
The Registrar of the University, Jacob Agboola who also serves as the secretary to the governing council did not respond to PREMIUM TIMES calls on the matter.
The fees before the increment were pegged at N63,500 for returning students, who are indigenes of Oyo and Osun states and N72,500 for non-indigenes.
The present 100-level students paid N120,000 for indigenes and N150,000 for non-indigenes as part of the resolution of the institution after the university strike that lasted for months.
